Improvement in rifling



UNITED VSTATES JOHN snIPnL, or

PATENT Fries.

lMPROVEMENT IN RIFLINGl ORDNANCE.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 50,502, dated October 17, 1865.

To all whom Iit may concern:

, Beit known that I, JOHN SEIPEL, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia and United States of America, have lnade new and useful Improvements in the Mode of Riiiin g Ordnance; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the nature, construction, and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompauying drawings, which are made. part of this specification.

To enable one skilled in the branch of manufacture to which my invention appertains to construct and use the same, I will proceed to describe it.

This invention consists in dividing sp'iraily the area of the bore of a cannon into six, more or less, equal parts, preserving an equal numher. Each alternate one of these equal parts, being cut away to the required depth, forms the broad entering grooves or channels B. Then cach remaining alternate equal part is filled with aset ottiue rifie-grooves, A, of any required size, depth, shape, 0r proportion. The pitch of the riiiing may be varied to suit the necessities of the ease. New, the rifle-grooves are all cut away at the bottom ot' the bore to form the powder-cha mber. They are then further cut away forward of the powder-chamber i'or a distance equal to the cylindrical length of the projectile; and lastly, they are tapered ott' for a length of about two or three inches, to admit of the projectile entering them easily.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of part of the bore of a gun to which my invention has been applied. (t is the powder-chamber; l), the projectile-chamber, and o the length of taper from the latter into the ritlcs. Ais one ot' the three sets ot fine grooves. 'B is one ot' the three enteringclmnncls through which the projectile is passed into the loading-chamber I).

Fig. 4 is a transverse section ot' the gun, near the muzzle thereof, on line .c a, Fig. 1, showing the three sets of five grooves, A, and the three entering-channels 13. Tile depth ofthe channels B should b e a shade more than that of the line rifles A, so that the projectile will go in easily and come out tightly.

j Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line m, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line y y, Fig.

b, showing the three remaining line grooves i, which serve to stopthe projectile and hold it in the proper position for firing the piece.

Fig. 6 is a front-end view of the projectile t0 be used in connection with this new system of riding.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the rammcr for loading and turning the ball into position in its chamber.

The lead or composition coating of projectile is also provided longitudinally into a number of equal parts, the same numbgrpasthe bore of the guni'n'which it nis used. Each alternate equal part of the lead coating is cut away at e, thus leaving an equal number of longitudinal ribs or projections, f, thereon. g g are two ears on the point ofthe projectile, by means of which it is turned in the chamber b, so as to bring the ribs f behind the rides A, ready for liring.

To load a gun thus rilied, enter the projectile with the ribsfin the channels B, and shove it home with a rammer having a concave head to tit over the point of the projectile and with two slits therein to receive the two ears gg, so that when the projectile is home it is easily turned by the rammer nearly one-sixth of its circumference, either to the right or left, as the case may require. This act rotates the ribs f out ofthe channels rear of the tine grooves A when fired. The leadcn ribs f enter the line grooves A, and impart to the projectile the necessary rotation. The windage through the broad grooves B keeps them clean, so that the loading is always effected with ease for any required number of. rounds.

I sometimes form the riding, as shown in Fig. 1, with a continuous arrangement of the grooves and enteringchannels by means of which the simple act of ramming home the projectile causes it to turn and assume the proper position for iirin g without the necessity 1, ofthe gunthrongh the projectilechamher' B to a position immediately in of turning or rotating ib byhand when home. Arend the intervening broad entering-spaces,

I do notJ confine myself to the exact; method B, the space back ofthe ridges formingga chamherein described, as it; may be varied without ber for the baILWhiah'is introduced in the man- -departing from the essential principles of my ner described.

invention; but JOHN SEIPEL.

What l claim as my invention, and desire Witnesses: i

to secure by Letters Patent, s- L. W. BROADWELL, The combination of the narrow spiral ridges I. CURTIN. 

